Lifter Rattle - How Do I Fix It? - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

peter_vod69 · 05-12-2004, 00:02

Ok people, if someone could give me a rundown on how to fix this lifter rattle I would be most grateful. I really don't want to spend more money, and I hate the sound my car is making now. I am really pissed off about this situation.
In my other post recently I described how a certain bunch of shonks managed to stuff up a cam and shim install in my EL, and I never want to go back there again.

When I gave the cam to them, they installed it and the extra set of shims in the lifters, and now the lifters (at least one or two) rattle like crazy. How can I diagnose which ones are rattling and then how do I fix this? Bear in mind I am not a mechanic, but I'm not an idiot either.

eskyboi · 05-12-2004, 08:17

As i'm sure mongrelEB will attest to... rip the rocker cover off.. start the motor and use a long fladblade screwdriver as a stethiscope and place it on the guide bars beside each rocker arm and listen till you can pinpoint the noisey ones.

Can possibly try cleaning the stuffed hydraulic lifters.. but easier buying new ones.

mongrelEB · 05-12-2004, 09:45

Yes I certainly will eskyboi

Most likely the lifter's been incorrectly shimmed rather than being stuffed in and of itself. Best bet would be to take it back and, in the immortal words of Ken the fruiterer: "Complain! LOUDLY!"

Failing that you can buy a packet of shims and DIY with little effort. It's tedious rather than hard. Basically, having pinpointed the noisy lifter, you stick very small shims in it until it goes away. NFI what a shim kit is worth though, can't remember.

Axeman82 · 05-12-2004, 15:01

Won't piss oil everywhere will it with the rocker cover off??

And wtf?? are you doing on @ 2:45am Alex..

Dan..

mongrelEB · 05-13-2004, 08:36

Not if you use some old towels to catch it. It's more of a mist/fine spray than actual streams of oil. Some splatter. I should mention to wear glasses also, otherwise you'll hate me the next day :)

Meh 2:45 is nothing lol, the old man gets the computer all day and I use it all night, nothing better to be doing during the day ATM so I can sleep then

I think my record is about 6 in the morning!

eskyboi · 05-13-2004, 08:41

On the I6.. not that much splatter around the place.. just watch the timing chain.

When recently replacing the head gasket on a friends mazda 929.. had the rocker cover off.. moved to where i thought the flying oil wouldn't get me.. and the bloody thing shot off the timing chain at a 45degree angle and coated me in oil!